Automatic dispensing machine



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Sept. 14 1926.

J. J. MCNEELY AUTOMATIC DISPENSING MACHINE @ttor um# handled b Patented Sept. 14, i926.

UNITED STATES 1,500,188 PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN J'. MCNEELY, OF JACKSON, MISSOURI` ASSIGNOR, BY DIRECT AND MESNE AS- TIC BOTTLE DISPENSING MACHINE COM- SIGNMENTS, T UNIVERSAL AUTOMA PANY, OF QUIN' CY, ILLINOIS, .A CORPORATION 0F ILLINOIS.

AUTOMATIC DISPENSIIN' G MACHINE.

Application led March 19, 1924. Serial No. 700,356.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in automatic dispensing machines.

An important object of the invention.is to provide a machine of the coin controlled type which will automatically dispense the commodity placed therein when operated by a person.

A further object of the invention is to provide 'a cabinet for housing the dispensing mechanism and the commodity to lbe dispensed thereby.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a cabinet of the above mentioned type which is suitable for icing the commodity when the machine is used for dispensing bottled beverages.

Another ob'ect of the invention is to provide a novel orm of conveyor for carrying the commodit from the feeding point to the oint of ischarge.

Still another object of the invention is to provide suitable mechanism for preventing ut one article to be dispensed at a time and for insuring the proper resetting of the mechanism after an article has been dispensed.

A further object of the invention is to rovide extension compartments to the main odly portion of the cabinet for carrying a surplus supply of articles and for dlsplaying a desired number of the articles for illustrating the type of commodity being the machine.

Other o 'ects and advantages of the. invention will be apparent during the course of the following description.

In the accompanying drawings formin a part of the specification and in which llke numerals are employed to designate like. parts throughout the samez- Figure 1 1s a vertical sectional view of the automatic dispensing machine embodying this invention,

Figure 2 is a fragmentar tional view taken upon transvers'se secnes II-v-II of Flg. 1,

.igure 3 is a transverse sectional view tallrven upon line III-III of Fig. 1,

1 showiig an enlargement of the vcoin controlling mechanism which is operated by a purchaser and illustrates the structure which will prevent the dispensingof an arre 4 is a detail verticalsectional view ticle if a coin has not been deposited in the machine, and

Figure 5 shows a similar view to Fig. 4, but illustrates the operation of the manually actuated mechanism after a coin has been deposited for permitting the said mechanism to be operated for causing an article to be dispensed.

In the drawings, wherein for the purpose of illustration is shown a preferred embodiment of this invention, the numeral 5 desi nates the rear wall of the cabinet which 1s employed for housing the dispensing mechanism and the commodity being dispensed by such mechanism. The numeral 6 desi -4 nates the bottom wall of this cabinet while the numerals 7 and 8 desi ate the to and front Walls respectively. glll'lhe sides o this cabinet are closed by the side walls 9 which are best illustrated in Fi s. 2 and 3. In Figs. l and 2, the top wa 7 is illustrated as being provided with a hinged 'door 10 having a handle 11 carried thereby which will permit the op Formed integrally with the bottom wall 6 is an .extension 6a which forms the bottom wall of a stora e compartment designated in general by t e numeral 12. This storage compartment 12 is provided with side walls 13 and a front wall 14, as illustrated. In Fig. 1, the front wall 14 of this storage compartment is illustrated as being providedwith a. door 15 at its upper portion and a second door 16 at its lower portion. .It is to be understood that suitable locking mechanism is provided for each of these doors 15. and 16 for preventing an unauthorized person from gaining. access to the interior of the storage compartment 12. The ltop wall 7 is also rovided with an extension 7'L while the si e walls 9 are illustrated in Fi 3 as being provided with extensions 9. 'Ighese extensions 7 and 9* are employed for forming a display compartment which is further formed with shelves 17 upon which the bottles B or other commodity are to be positioned. In Fig. 3, the front longitudinal edges of the side wall extensions 9* l are illustrated as being provided with guide ooves 18 within which a glass car ing rame 19 is slidably positioned. It wil be understood that the glass 20 carried by this frame 19 will permit a purchaser to view erating of said door.

the bottles B positioned upon the shelvesv 1T and will thereby be able to familiarize himself with the type or" commodity being dispensed by the machine.

The storage compartment l2 is illustrated Vin Fig. vl as being provided with staggered, downwardly sloping, transversely extending shelves Q1 which are so arranged that bottles B placed in the compartment through the door l5 will travel, due to the torce 'of gravity, through a tortuous path over the various shelves towards the direc tion o the bottoni platform 22 which is provided with an upwardly curved outer edge 28 which is intended to stop the travel of the bottles when they arrive at the same. lt will be understood that these bottles may be withdrawn Jfrom the storage compartment 'l2 through the opening which is closed by the door 16. Placed within the bottom of this storage compartment 12 is a drip pan 2l which is employed 'for catching all foreign matter accidentally placed within the compartment l2 and also. for catching lmoisture or water of condensation which will drop from the bottles ll due to the icing ot the same which will be described at a later point.

rllhe front wall S of the cabinet is pro vided with an elongatedopening 25 through which access may be gained to the interior of the cabinet by withdrawing the glass carrying frame l) from the guide grooves 1S. Connected to this front wall 8 in axial alinelment with the opening 25 is an t-shaped, entirely closed chute 26 which extends downwardly to the point 27 where it is formed with an opening through which the bottles B, placed in the chute through the opening 25, will be discharged. One wall ot' this chute 26 is continued in the form of a partition or guide strip 28 which extends downwardly and engages at its lower end the bottom wall G of thecabinet.

Suitably journaled in the bearings 29 are the upper and lower, transversely extending shafts 30 and 3l. respectively. Suitably mounted upon the lower shaft 3l is a double sprocket wheel 32 while similarly mounted upon the upper shaft 30 is a secu ond., double sprocket wheel 33. Mounted upon these Sprocket wheels 32 and 33, for rotation therewith, is a pair of link chains 34e which carry the suitably spaced, transversely extending bars 35 which are equiu spaced in respect to each other. Secured to the front wall 8 of the cabinet and the inner .tace of the partition or guide strip Q8 is an arched guide 36 which is positioned a proper distaneefrorn the periphery ota the double sprocket wheel. 82 for permitting the transversely extending bars 35 to slight ly engage the saine.

ltis to be understood that these bars 35 are secured to the double sprocket chain 3a in spaced relation to each other tor receivincense ing the bottles that are discharged at the point 27 from the chute QG. It will also be seen that there is but sufficient room between the bars 25 to receive one bottle only. lt will also be seen that the bottles that are placed in the chute 26 will feed, due to the force of gravity, into the pockets 'formed by the bars 35 and will be conveyed from the oint 27, downwardly in engagement with the partition 2G, around the periphery of the lower, double sprocket wheel 32 in engagement with the arched guide 86 and upwardly on the opposite side ot' the con veyor until they reach the opening 3T, formed in the t'ront wall S of the cabinet, through which they are discharged onto the tray 38 which projects outwardly from the front wall 8. specting Fig. l, that this tray 3S forms a top wall for the storage compartment l2.

For the pur/pose ot' preventing the bottles B from being dropped from their respective pockets through the space between the separate chain forming the pair of link chains 3st, a guide strip Si) is positioned :for extending longitudinally between the said chains in parallelism with the partition 2S. A second guide strip l() extends in parallelism with the lower portion ot the front wall 8 between the lower, double sprocket wheel 32 and the discharge opening 37. ./it the upper end or" this second guide strip etO, there is formed a substantially U-shaped bracket al within which is housed a trigger Zl2 which is spring pressed outwardly into the path of -travel of the bars 35 by the spring 43. It is to be understood that this trigger is provided with a beveled outer end la which is adapted t0 be engaged by the bars 35 during their upward travel 'for being forced out ot the path ot travel of said bars against the tension of the spring 4:3. lt is, also, to be understood that after one of the bars 35. has passed the trigger a2 and has carried a bottle in alincment with the discharge opening 37, that the trieger 42 will againbe forced outwardly, y the spring 4:3, for substantially shooting the said bottle through the opening 37 onto the tray 38.

'llt will also be seen, by inf For the purpose of insuringl the stopping of the bottle conveying means in the exact position illustrated in Figi, after a bottle has been dispensed onto the tray 38, the upper shaft 32 is provided` with a star wheel 45 which is engaged, as best illustrated in Figs. l and 2, by the roller 46 which is car ried by the yoke 47. This yoke is suitably secured to a bar 48 which extends upwardly through a suitable aperture formed in the bracket 49 that projects laterally from one of the side Walls 9 of the cabinet. There is also provided a bracket 50 which is secured to the front wall 8 of the cabinet and pivotally carries a link 51 which has an elongated slot 52 at its outer end that slidably engages a pin 53 carried by the bar 4S. llncircling this bar 48 and engaging the link at its lower end und the bracket 49 at its upper end is a tension spring 54 which is employed t'oi' forcing the rollerl 46 downwardly upon the tread of the star wheel 45. lt will be seen by this mechanism that tlie conveyor cari-ying 1'he bottles B will always stop when the roller rests in. one of the cavities between adjacent points of the star wheel 45.

The mechanism employed `for actuating the bottle conveying` mechanism includes a ratchet wheel 55 which is keyed to the shai't 30, as best illustrated iii Figs. l to 3 inclusive. There is also pivotally seciired to the upper shaft 30 a lever 5G which carries the pawl "57 that is adapted for engaging the teeth of the ratchet wheel The lever 56 is provided with a spring element 58 that engages the pawl 57 for retaining its outer end against the ratchet wheel 55.

Suitably mounted upon the outer surface of the front wall Sis a box '59 which carries the coin controlled mechanism. The lower wall of this box, as illustrated in detail in Figs. l, 4 and 5, is provided with a raised platform 60 upon which is slidably positioned a plunger 6l. This plunger is retained in engagement with the upper face of the platform 60 by means of the guide 62. The outer end of this plunger 61 is provided With' a laterally projecting pin 63 which is slidably received with an elongated opening 64 formed in the operating lever 65.

This lever 65 projects upwardly through the top wall of the box 59 and terminates in a handle 66. Connected to this operating lever 65 is a rod 67 which extends through a suitable opening formed in the front Wall 8 of the cabinet and is connected at its inner end to the lower end of the lever 56 which carries the pawl 57. It will be seen from this construction that when the operating lever 65 is pivoted, as indicated in dotted lines in Figs. 4 and 5, the plunger 61 will be reciprocated along the surface of the platform 60. Positioned above the platform 60 and inwardly of the guide 62 is a stop 68 which is pivoted at 69 and is provided with an elongated slot- 70 which receives a pin 71 carried by the side Wall of the box 59. It will be seen by inspecting Figs. 1, 4 and 5 that the lower edge of the stop 60 is provided wit-h a curved surface 72 and a flat outer end 73. In Fig. 4 the operating lever 65 and plunger 6l are shown in dotted lines in partially actuated positions. It will be noted, however, that the plunger 6l is prevented from moving the proper distance inwardly for'causing the rod 67 to sufficiently operate the dispensing mechanism for discharging a bottle B upon the tray 38.

A coin chute 74 is illustrated iiiFigs. l, 4 and 5 and .is employed for conveying the coin C into the boX 59 and discharge the same into a position iin front of the inner end of the plunger 6l while the latter is in the full line position illustrated in Fig. 4. After this coin has been dropped in front of the plunger 6l, the operating lever 65 may be actuated` for forcing the said coin into eiigageii'ient with the curved surface 72 of the stop 68 for moving the same upwardly into the dotted line position illustrated in Fig. 5.- Vith the stop in its dotted line position, the plunger 6l will be free to move inwardly to its dotted line position as illustrated in Fig. 5. This permitting of the plunger 6l to move as illustrated in Fig. 5 will allow the rod 67 to be moved sutlicieiitly for rotating theisliaft 30, due to the provision of the ratchet wheel 55, pawl 57, and lever 56, to cause the conveyor. chain to carry one of the bottles B into alinement with the discharge opening 37 Where the trigger 42 will force the said bottle out upon the tray 38.

`In Figs. l. 4 and 5, the rod 67 is illustrated as being encircled by a spring 75 which engages, at its inner end, the front wall 8 of the cabinet and at its outer end the Stop Washer 7G which is suitably keyed to the lever 67. vIt will be seen that this spring 76 will cause the rod 67 to return to its inoperative position afterv having been actuated foi moving the conveyor to dispense al bottle.

There is also illustrated in lthese three figures an opening 77 through which the coins "C will drop into the coin box 78.

In Fig. l there is illustrated a cake of ice 79 which is intended to be positioned Within the cabinet through the hinged door 10 carried by the top Wall 7 of the cabinet. The said cabinet is intended to be provided with the Water lV which is intended to be maintained at the level of the overflow pipe 80. There is'also provided a drain opening 8l through which the water may rbe discharged from the cabinet. It will be seen by placing this ice water W in the cabinet that the bottles B will be retained Within this water for a suiiicient period, before being dispensed, for thoroughly chilling the contents of the same. .The bott-les, before being submerged i'n the ice water W, will also be cooled on account of the fact that't-hey are in the cabinet which will naturally be retained at a low temperature. It is also in tended that the bottles in the storage compartment l2 will be slightly cooled by the presence of the ice water on the other side of the front wall 8 of the cabinet.

It is believed that the construction,i

of the same will be understood from the above detailed description. Therefore., no further explanation is deemed necessary.

t is to be understood that` the form of this invention herewith shoivn anddesrribed is to be taken as the preferred example of the Same, and that various changes in the shape, size, and arrangement of parts may be resorted to withouty departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the subjoined claims.

Having thus described the invention, I claim:-

l. In an apparatus of the class deseribed, a cabinet having a discharge opening, an article carrier in the cabinet adapted to feed bottles to a position in alinement With said opening, said carrier including transversely extending bottle supportii'ig bars, means rendered active by the movement of said bars Vfor forcing the bottles from the carrier through the discharge opening, said means including a bracket in alinement with said discharge opening, a trigger carried by said bracket, resilient. means for normally holding said trigger partially in the path of travel of said bars, and a beveled Surface on said trigger adapted to be engaged by said bars duringr travel for moving the trigger against the action ot' said spring` whereby when the trigger is released from a bar it Will fiy forwardly to strike and to discharge an article,

2. ln an apparatus of the class described, a Cabinet having a discharge opening, means for retaining' ice Water at a predcterrninedYv level in said cabinet, a bottle carrier in the cabinet having a path ot' travel through said wateipand adapted to feedvbottles in alignment with said opening, .said carrier carrying transversely-extending bottle-supporting bars, and means rendered active by the movement ot said bars for forcing the bottles from the carrier through the discharge opening, said means including a longitudinally movable spring-pressed trigger.

In testimony whereof I atix my signature.

JOHN J. MCNEELY. 

